The Death of the Starter Home
After several exasperating Zillow searches through Portland, Oregon’s increasingly expensive housing market, Gaby Colón and Daniel Quebral scrapped their plans for a traditional home and
After several exasperating Zillow searches through Portland, Oregon’s increasingly expensive housing market, Gaby Colón and Daniel Quebral scrapped their plans for a traditional home and embraced the open road, buying a 315-square-foot home on wheels. “Rent is crazy right now, and housing prices are even worse,” Colón says. “We just wanted to get out of the rat race, and we wanted stability.” Colón, 27, and Quebral, 33, are part of a staggering trend—educated, employed Americans who are struggling to buy a home, a goal made ever more difficult by an inflated housing market. Nishu Sood, a principal at the housing research firm John Burns Research and Consulting, notes that in the decade since 2015, inflation rose 37 percent, incomes rose 45 percent, and the cost of buying a home has gone up a whopping 115 percent (by comparison, renting an apartment has risen 43 percent). The national average price for a starter home was $292,950 in 2024, up from $190,559 in 2019, according to realtor.com.
With housing costs far outpacing wages, starter homes—typically defined as houses that are priced in the lower third of the market—are increasingly elusive. According to the Association of Realtors, the average age of first-time buyers has hit 40 years old, a troubling sign that one of the traditional markers of adulthood is being postponed. Analysts attribute the problem to a perfect storm: a skyrocketing demand for houses during and just following the pandemic, the millennial generation’s entry into the housing market, and rising mortgage rates. “When inventory levels fall, the lower price point feels more of the squeeze because it’s the price point that more people can afford,” explains Hannah Jones, senior economist at realtor.com. “Once mortgage rates rise, more buyers get funneled into that lower end.” Those higher rates are also forcing families currently in starter homes to delay moving to larger properties, compounding the shortage of entry-level options. “It’s remarkable just how severely that $300,000 and under section of the market has compressed,” says Jones, noting that in 2016, nearly 61 percent of active listings were priced at $300,000 or below.
Meanwhile, from January to April 2026, $300,000 homes accounted for just 31 percent of the market. Laxer zoning policies, Jones notes, may provide some relief by, say, promoting new construction on smaller lots, which would increase density and supply, and offer more options for buyers. But digging our way out of the problem is a long-term solution. For committed buyers now, the market is forcing creative measures, with some choosing tiny homes, opting for real estate in less expensive markets, or joining forces with friends or family to purchase multi-unit dwellings. “Buyers are still buying homes. Obviously, they’re much slower paced than during the pandemic or even pre-pandemic, but they’re finding ways to make it happen,” says Jones. “By and large, people consider homeownership to still be a significant part of the American dream.” This story is part of The Future of Home, a collaboration between the editors of WIRED and Architectural Digest to help you understand what “home” will look like tomorrow and beyond.
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